Pat O'Brien Stakes

Breeders' Cup Challenge Series > Pat O'Brien Stakes

Pat O'Brien Stakes Race Facts

  • Location: Del Mar Racetrack, Del Mar, CA
  • Inaugural Race: 1980
  • Distance: 7/8ths of a mile (7 furlongs)
  • Track Type: Left-handed, Dirt
  • Age Qualifications: Three Year Olds and up
  • 2023 Purse: $250,000
  • 2023 Race Date: Saturday, August 26th

2023 Pat O'Brien Stakes Race Results

POST
HORSE
JOCKEY / TRAINER
WIN / PLACE / SHOW
9
Anarchist
Ramon A. Vazquez / Doug F. O'Neill
$7.00 / $4.00 / $3.00
11
Bye Bye Bobby
Drayden Van Dyke / Todd W. Fincher
$17.80 / $10.60
5
C Z Rocket
Geovanni Franco / Peter Miller
$6.40
4
Sir Atticus
Mike E. Smith / John A. Shirreffs
7
Spirit of Makena
Joe Bravo / George Papaprodromou
3
Hoist the Gold
Reylu Gutierrez / Dallas Stewart
1
Moose Mitchell
Mario Gutierrez / George Papaprodromou
6
Brickyard Ride
Juan J. Hernandez / Craig Anthony Lewis
10
Vivir Con Alegria (CHI)
Hector Isaac Berrios / Amador Merei Sanchez
2
Go Joe Won
Jose Valdivia, Jr. / Paula S. Capestro

Exotic Payoffs:

  • $1.00 Exacta (9-11) Paid: $59.80
  • $0.50 Trifecta (9-11-5) Paid: $196.35
  • $0.10 Superfecta (9-11-5-4) Paid: $185.29

Watch the 2023 Pat O'Brien Stakes

Pat O'Brien Stakes Race History

The Pat O'Brien Handicap is a Grade II horse race run each year at the Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, CA. The race is named for Del Mar co-founder Pat O'Brien, an accomplished character actor who often starred along with Hollywood legend James Cagney. A massive fan of horse racing, O'Brien served on the founding Board of Directors for Del Mar along with other notable figures such as Bing Crosby and Willam A. Quigley.

A few notable horses have won the race, including the 1995 winner Lit de Justice. Not only did he set the dirt speed record* with a time of 1:20.06, but he went on to win the Breeders' Cup Sprint the next year as part of his Sprint Horse Championship campaign. 1996 winner Alphabet Soup went on to win the Breeders' Cup Classic that year, and 2014 winner Goldencents parlayed his victory into a repeat win at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

Currently, Victor Espinoza is the winningest jockey in the races' history with six, a title he has held since 2009. Legendary trainer Bob Baffert has notched a record eight wins at the race, including four straight victories between 2010 and 2013.

The race is featured in the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" Series, awarding the winner an automatic bid to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile.

*Goldencents holds the Polytrack speed record with a time of 1:20.99 which he set in 2014

Pat O'Brien Stakes Past Winners

Year
Winner
Jockey / Trainer
Distance / Time
2023
Anarchist
Ramon A. Vazquez / Doug F. O'Neill
7 F / 1:23.21
2022
Laurel River
Juan J. Hernandez / Bob Baffert
7 F / 1:21.37
2021
Ginobili
Drayden Van Dyke / Richard Baltas
7 F / 1:22.36
2020
C Z Rocket
Flavien Prat / Peter L. Miller
7 F / 1:22.25
2019
Catalina Cruiser
Flavien Prat / John W. Sadler
7 F / 1:22.00
2018
Catalina Cruiser
Drayden Van Dyke / John W. Sadler
7 F / 1:22.13
2017
Giant Expectations
Gary L. Stevens / Peter Eurton
7 F / 1:21.08
2016
Masochistic
Tyler Baze / Ronald W. Ellis
7 F / 1:20.31
2015
Appealing Tale
Joseph Talamo / Peter L. Miller
7 F / 1:21.40
2014
Goldencents
Rafael Bejarano / Doug F. O'Neill
7 F / 1:20.99